Wolvenschans

• Date 1993-1997
• Address Waterborg – 9371 SP Leek (Netherlands)

The construction of the Wolvenschans housing development in Leek, in the province of Groningen, was the result of a competition in which Vandenhove was awarded first prize in 1992. The project forms part of the south-western expansion programme for the small town of Leek, which, in addition to the construction of 500 homes, involves a comprehensive approach underpinned by a development plan. This plan, drawn up by the Dutch firm Noordpeil, draws inspiration from the traditional landscape designs found in the Groningen region, whilst resonating with Vandenhove’s philosophy of rigour and symmetry. Water takes centre stage, with the various housing units arranged around it. To avoid any sense of monotony, Vandenhove plays with different housing types, drawing inspiration from the garden city model. On either side of the water feature, ten houses, set back from the road, each accommodate two two-storey detached dwellings. On the ground floor, a bay window extends the living room outwards. Further on, four clusters of terraced houses are arranged symmetrically, creating a view towards the Waterborg, a complex of five adjoining apartment blocks situated in the middle of a body of water. Stretching over five storeys, the complex – whose appearance is reminiscent of a castle surrounded by a moat (the developer Leyten points out that this is the first ‘new castle’ in the Netherlands) – houses luxury flats, each featuring spacious terraces. Despite this variety of layouts and sizes, Vandenhove unifies the complex with a restrained design rooted in local tradition, featuring generously proportioned gabled roofs. In this complex dominated by brick and red tiles, the architectural concrete elements that form the cornices and crown the chimneys lend a sense of cohesion to the whole.

• Volumetry 8 boîtes d'archives (9.60 m)
• Bibliography

  BEKAERT, Geert, Charles Vandenhove 1985-1995, Rotterdam, NAI Uitgevers, 1994, p. 205.

• AUTHOR AND DATE OF THE ENTRY Sébastien Charlier, 2022